Andrews rejects Age allegations: Audio

By
ADAM HOLMES

July 25, 2014, 10:38 a.m.

SPEAKING in Bendigo, state Labor leader threatens legal action over alleged Labor Party involvement in a leaked recording.

QUESTIONING: Daniel Andrews answers questions in Epsom over allegations of Labor Party involvement in the leaking of an explosive private conversation between Ted Baillieu and a Fairfax journalist. Picture: GLENN DANIELS

Daniel Andrews answers questions in Epsom.

VICTORIAN opposition leader Daniel Andrews walked into a firestorm in Bendigo this morning over allegations the Victorian Labor Party was involved in the leaking of a private recording between Ted Baillieu and a Fairfax journalist.

A report in The Age alleged Labor Party staff received the recording device, in which Ted Baillieu was critical of Liberal Party colleagues, after it was handed in to lost property during the Labor Party state conference in May.

The conversation was later distributed to hundreds of Liberal Party members.

Speaking to journalists at a funding announcement at Epsom Primary School, Mr Andrews said the report in The Age was wrong, defamatory and the matter was in the hands of lawyers.

"They've been reported as facts without proof, they've been reported as facts without names," he said.

"These allegations are defamatory, these allegations are wrong and untrue and they have been referred to our lawyers."

The Victorian Labor Party secretary released a statement in response to the allegations.

Mr Andrews said he would "not be running a commentary" on the allegations.

"First I heard about was that there was an email, and then there was a frenzy around parliament house - that's the first I knew of it," he said.

"This is 100 per cent an internal Liberal Party matter.

"The distribution of that material was conducted by the Liberal Party to the Liberal Party and it is them that should answer to that, not anyone else."